Deliberations on Hidden Creek Project Enter the Home Stretch

After eight years, many studies and at least 19 public hearings, City Council members are preparing to rule on the proposed Hidden Creek Ranch development, a massive project that could increase the city’s population by a third.

This week the City Council began deliberating a final plan for the 3,221-home project that would be built on 4,300 acres north of the city and east of Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park.

Council members say they hope to make a decision on the controversial project, the largest development in city history, before their summer break in August. Planned for 10,000 people, the project would include two golf courses, a shopping center, parks and an equestrian center.

“We’ve had the public input and received a tremendous amount of information,” Councilman Chris Evans said. “Quite frankly, I think most of us have 95% of the information we need to make a logical decision. . . . It’s time for us to do our job.”

After beginning their discussion Wednesday of the Hidden Ranch Specific Plan, which spells out what would be included in the project and the construction timeline, council members suggested they will need two more meetings before making a decision.

Topics yet to be addressed include land use, phasing, zoning, grading, traffic and access to Hidden Creek Ranch, proposed by Irvine-based developer Messenger Investment Co.

To make room in its schedule, the council postponed some items scheduled for its Wednesday meeting next week, including consideration of a West Pointe Homes project involving a prominent ridgeline.

Although the project would leave more than 2,000 acres as open space, it has raised concerns of urban sprawl.

In the public hearings, up to 100 residents at a time have brought up almost every imaginable concern: traffic, valley fever caused by grading, noise, pollution and disruption to wildlife.

Some also worry about an access road that would cut through Happy Camp Park, competition for businesses on High Street and even glare from street lights that could interfere with work at the Moorpark College observatory.

Open-space advocates hope to defeat the project with a measure on the November ballot that would require voter approval to develop land that would be annexed to the city.

Messenger representative Gary Austin has said approval of the open-space measure would mean a loss of more than 2,000 acres of open space being set aside for the project and result in the division of the property into 40-acre parcels for sale.

He has said that the concerns brought up by residents have been addressed, including providing land for a new observatory.

Austin also added that the city has gone through all the proper procedures and that the project has been “thoroughly scrutinized.” Many city officials have lost track of the number of public meetings held. But Austin said the city has either held 19 or 20 hearings.

“I believe the city has bent over backward to try to disclose to the public what the project is and what could be done to make the project better,” Austin said.

“There are many people that disagree with the project and further growth, but regarding the law and procedures local governments follow, they’ve really tried hard to be in compliance with that.”

The development agreement between the city and the developer is still being worked out and will appear before the city Planning Commission for deliberation. That agreement spells out when and how much the city gets paid in developer fees.

During its deliberations Wednesday, the council touched on issues of grading, traffic and affordable housing.

Councilman John Wozniak was concerned about the prospect of massive grading taking place all at one time on the project. City staff is scheduled to report back to the council to see if there are ways to control how much grading would be allowed during certain phases.

The council also was given a range of cost estimates for a freeway bypass--work that would be partially underwritten with $20 million from the Hidden Creek developer. The figures from a 1994 study ranged from $28 million to $72 million.

Lastly, the council went over how much affordable housing would be included in the plan. The project would set aside 275 apartment units and 90 single-family homes for low-income families and reserve some of those dwellings for seniors.

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Proposed Moorpark Addition

The Irvine-based Messenger Investment Co. owns a 4,300-acre parcel northeast of Moorpark. Company officials have proposed a development of 3,221 homes that would be annexed to Moorpark, increasing the city’s population by nearly 10,000 people. Messenge would set aside 2,159 acres as open space.

Sources: Moorpark Planning Department